Mike Schonberg

Building a time-synchronization network spanning multiple data centers within a metropolitan area is a formidable challenge, particularly when the requirements include fault tolerance, nanosecond accuracy, and traceability to UTC(NIST). Quincy Data undertook this challenge, using White Rabbit in Chicago and New Jersey to synchronize across the major trading venues and using GNSS to connect these metros into a single clock domain.

Building a time-synchronization network spanning multiple data centers within a metropolitan area is a formidable challenge, particularly when the requirements include fault tolerance, nanosecond accuracy, and traceability to UTC(NIST). Quincy Data undertook this challenge, using White Rabbit in Chicago and New Jersey to synchronize across the major trading venues and using GNSS to connect these metros into a single clock domain.

Building a time-synchronization network spanning multiple data centers within a metropolitan area is a formidable challenge, particularly when the requirements include fault tolerance, nanosecond accuracy, and traceability to UTC(NIST). Quincy Data undertook this challenge, using White Rabbit in Chicago and New Jersey to synchronize across the major trading venues and using GNSS to connect these metros into a single clock domain.

“Build versus buy” is the question many teams set out to answer when first applying FPGA to a workload, but the answer is rarely so simple. Since third-party products seldom meet 100% of a firm’s requirements—yet every delay in deployment means unrealized profit—firms must blend off-the-shelf components with custom logic.

Two years ago STAC Summit attendees heard how a few elite trading firms appeared to be using HF (high frequency radio) to achieve unprecedented latency for trans-Atlantic communication. Quincy Data and Raft Technologies believe it is time to level the playing field and provide the advantages of HF to more firms.